Rory McIlroy has been a central figure in men’s professional golf for well over a decade, and that status skyrocketed when, at long last, he completed the career grand slam at the Masters in April.
So when the newly crowned Masters champion opted not to speak with the media at all one month later at golf’s next major, the PGA Championship, McIlroy raised some eyebrows. Even if his performance was subpar, it’s strange that McIlroy, fresh off his career grand slam, would want to avoid the media entirely. After all, throughout his career, McIlroy has been generally open and candid with the media, something that has endeared him to the fans.
But McIlroy’s tone has shifted this season. Perhaps it’s because the Northern Irishman became a de facto spokesperson for the PGA Tour amid the ongoing LIV Golf debacle, only to get thrown under the bus numerous times as Tour commissioner Jay Monahan changed course. That’s one way to lose trust in the media. But this seems to be more.
McIlroy, prior to securing his first green jacket in April, weighed in on an ongoing debate regarding the media access PGA Tour members should be giving the press. During his Masters press conference, McIlroy said, “Look, every other athlete, whether it be in the NBA, NFL, they’re obligated to speak to you guys after a game. We’re not.”
The comments came shortly after Collin Morikawa made waves skipping his media availability after a heartbreaking loss at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Earlier this year, fellow top golfer Justin Thomas penned a letter to PGA Tour membership urging players to do the exact opposite and be more open and accommodating with the media.
Suffice it to say, media availability has been a major through line of this PGA Tour season.
On Wednesday, McIlroy finally broke his silence about why he dodged the media during the PGA Championship, doubling down that players have no obligation to speak with the press.
“From a responsibility standpoint, look, I understand, but if we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys and we could just go on this and we could go on social media and we could talk about our round and do it our own way,” McIlroy told the press at the RBC Canadian Open on Wednesday. “We understand that that’s not ideal for you guys and there’s a bigger dynamic at play here, and I talk to you guys and I talk to the media a lot.
“I think there should be an understanding that this is a two-way street, and as much as we need to speak to you guys, we’re sort of … we understand the benefit that comes from you being here and giving us the platform and everything else. So I understand that.
“But again, I’ve been beating this drum for a long time. If they want to make it mandatory, that’s fine, but in our rules it says that it’s not, and until the day that that’s maybe written into the regulations, you’re going to have guys skip from time to time, and that’s well within our rights.”
There’s a bit of wonky context here that is important to know. During PGA Championship week, McIlroy’s driver was deemed “nonconforming” and he was forced to take it out of the bag and replace it with a new one. That’s a totally normal thing that happens to a number of players every week. Essentially, as players repeatedly use the same driver, the material on the face of the driver gets thinner, allowing the ball to go further.
The thing is, the results of driver testing are supposed to be kept confidential. Reporters found out about McIlroy’s failed test prior to the PGA Championship, and reported that news.
“I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie [Scheffler]’s driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked,” McIlroy said. “It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it. So why, and again, I didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted either.”
While McIlroy’s frustration is understandable, it’s quite literally the media’s job to report on news. The media aren’t “leaking” anything. They’re reporting on information that they’ve learned. So to blame the media for this information getting out is a bit misguided, they’re just doing their jobs.
This perception of an adversarial relationship between the media and players has contributed to some apprehension on the player side, no doubt. But looking at the press through that lens will only further this perceived divide, and ultimately harm coverage of the sport.
After this season, the PGA Tour will almost certainly take a look at its player media policy. Perhaps there’s room to require some level of access. Almost every other sports league has found a way to do it. And while players might not necessarily enjoy that part of the job, well, it’s part of the job.
Golfers, the PGA Tour, and the golf media alike may all benefit from that type of policy. It’d certainly create fewer narratives like this, and ensure that more stories are focused on what people actually care about: the golf.